1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to methods and data processing system readable media, and more particularly, to methods of communicating between a user and a network site and data processing system readable media for carrying out those methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
When using the internet to access information, a user may, knowingly or unknowingly, be sending personal data regarding himself or herself to a website. This information may be in the form of cookies, preferences, or profile data files. The server may extract the personal data from the cookies, preferences, or profile data files to be used with personalization rules that are part of the personalization logic used at a website. That personal information may be used in constructing a page to be sent to the user. Server resources are consumed in preparing the personalization logic to be executed. This may limit the number of users that can access the website, slow response times of the website, or require more computer-related resources to maintain service levels compared to a system where personalization was not used.
The user may have concerns with the transmission or use of his or her personal information. Cookies may be placed on the user's computer by the website during a prior visit.
However, the user may not wish to have the information within that cookie used during a subsequent visit to the website because a user profile may be generated by the website over a period of visits.
Preferences may be set by the user for the computer's operation, for a browser application, or a combination thereof. Some of the preference information may be sensitive to some users. Other information within the preferences may not be sensitive when examined in isolation (one preference by itself). However, when taken in aggregate (all preferences), the likelihood of identifying a user may be more likely due to a “unique” combination of a large number of preferences that a user may specify. Profile data file(s) may be generated by the user or by a third party. The profile data file(s) may be transmitted when using the browser.
As an alternative, the user may use third-party anonymizing services so that the server computer for a website would be less likely to identify the user. These services are not a guarantee that personal information of the user will not be sent to another party. More particularly, the anonymizing service may accidentally send information that it is not to be disclosed to others. Additionally, some third-party services may consider selling customer information in an effort to raise funds or may be required to sell the confidential customer information by a trustee in bankruptcy. Therefore, the user relies on another party outside its control to manage personal information of the user.
A need exists for allowing personalization without using any more server resources than is needed. A need also exists for a user to determine what personal information is being sent to a network site in order to obtain information from that network site.